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Re: Pope condemns sexual violence against women

Originally Posted by ludahai

Define disproportionately? There are MANY stories of incredibly faithful and strong women in the Bible.

While there is nothing that can be said to be "THE Apocrypha", it doesn't mean that such books are not valuable to the Faith. Many ARE. However, there are various reasons why such books are not in the canon.

Re: Pope condemns sexual violence against women

Originally Posted by Felicity

The "Apocrypha" are in the Catholic Bible--NOT in the Protestant version.

From a Protestant standpoint, this is right. There are other books regarded as Apocraphal. But you are right - what Protestants call "The Apocrypha" is a fundamental part of the Catholic Bible and consists of books Martin Luther took out.

Re: Pope condemns sexual violence against women

Originally Posted by Felicity

Oh...IT means rejected texts? --not recently rejected?

It can mean both, though after re-reading the original post, the context and the use of the word "the" leads me to believe your original interpretation was correct. However, I will await his explanation before passing final judgement on the post.

The late 14th-century canonist, Aegidius de Bellamera, put it bluntly: "But why are women removed from civil and public offices? The reason is because they are fragile and usually less discerning." And further, "The reason for the difference [between the roles of men and women] is on account of the fragility, imbecility and less natural constancy and discernment of women."

* Not only were women naturally weaker in will and mind than men, but also in body. Following Pope Gregory the Great, the canonists called menstruation a defect of women's nature that carried severe consequences. Balsamon, the 12th-century Orthodox authority on canon law, explained that menstruation was the reason for the disbanding of the office of deaconess. "Once when the orders of canons of deaconesses were recognized, they had their own status at the altar. However, the defilement of the ministry by those menstruating expelled them from the divine and holy altar." The Western canonists followed Isidore of Seville in describing the horrible effects of menstruation: "And in fact this blood is so detestable and unclean that ... through contact with it, fruits do not produce, wine turns sour, plants die, trees lack fruit, the air darkens; if dogs eat [the blood], they are then made wild with madness."

* Women are also responsible for introducing sin into the world. Quoting Ambrose, a law contained in the 12th-century Decretum explained, "Adam was deceived by Eve, and not Eve by Adam. The woman summoned him to sin; it is just that he takes on the guidance of her, lest he be ruined again by female recklessness." The 13th-century canonist Guido de Baysio explained that this is why a woman cannot receive orders: "A woman was the effective cause of damnation since she was the origin of lying and Adam was deceived through her, and therefore she was not able to be the effective cause of salvation since Orders effects grace in another and thus salvation." William of Rennes in the 13th century put it crudely: "A woman taught one time and the whole world was overthrown."

* Women then need to be completely subject to men. According to the Decretum, "It is the natural order in humans that females serve males and children parents, since in this is justice that the lesser serve the greater." Huguccio puts it succinctly, "A female yields to a man like a reed in the wind."

It's hardly surprising that the church has misogynistic roots. It is however surprising that they still cling to male domination in this day and age and that women within the faith apologize for it.

Re: Pope condemns sexual violence against women

Originally Posted by independent_thinker2002

Really?

Aren't they considered to be of dubious nature? Or are you only speaking of Catholic apocrypha?

The question is what books are you talking about. "The Apocrypha" are what Protestants call Deuterocanonical books that are in the Catholic Bible, but not in the Protestant version. Name one book that you are referring to and I can tell what you're speaking of.